Trevor Noah - Some Languages Are Scary
Summary
TLDRThe comedian explores the allure of accents, highlighting the romanticism of the French accent and humorously contrasting it with the perceived danger of the Russian accent. They recount personal experiences at the Montreal border and joke about the intimidating nature of Russians, even in light-hearted situations. The comic playfully navigates cultural stereotypes and language perceptions, engaging the audience with anecdotes and a mix of humor and social commentary.
Takeaways
- 🎤 The speaker starts with a warm greeting and appreciation for the audience's applause.
- 🌟 The speaker humorously comments on the French language, suggesting it's the most romantic and has a 'sexy' connotation.
- 🗣️ They discuss how accents can change the perception of a language, citing the Russian accent as one that sounds dangerous and menacing.
- 🇷🇺 The speaker jokes about the global perception of Russia, highlighting how it makes even the United States cautious.
- 📡 They recount a specific incident involving a plane shot down by Ukrainian rebels with Russian support, illustrating the tense international relations.
- 🐰 The speaker humorously points out that the Russian language itself doesn't frighten them, unlike the accent, which they find intimidating.
- 🏙️ They describe a personal experience in New York City where they overheard a Russian conversation that switched from sounding threatening to mundane.
- 🎶 The speaker likens the sound of the Russian language to a vinyl record played backwards, suggesting it's mysterious and intriguing to them.
- 👀 They acknowledge the presence of Russian audience members and clarify that their comments are in jest, aiming to avoid any misunderstandings.
- 🌆 The speaker ends on a positive note, expressing excitement for the show and thanking the audience for attending.
Q & A
What is the comedian trying to express with the initial use of 'thank you' and 'good evening'?
-The comedian is humorously acknowledging the audience’s applause and setting the tone for the performance by greeting them warmly and playfully practicing his French.
Why does the comedian refer to Montreal's border as 'the sexiest' he’s ever crossed?
-He uses this description humorously to convey that the border officers were not intimidating but rather flirtatious, creating an amusing contrast with typical border control experiences.
What comparison does the comedian make between French and Russian accents?
-The comedian contrasts the French accent as being romantic and sexy, while the Russian accent is described as menacing and intimidating, regardless of the content being spoken.
How does the comedian use humor to address the tension between the US and Russia?
-He jokes about how the US is typically quick to act when other countries do something provocative, but when it involves Russia, the US hesitates, highlighting Russia’s intimidating reputation.
What does the comedian suggest about the Russian language compared to the Russian accent?
-He finds the Russian accent intimidating but amusingly points out that the Russian language itself doesn’t evoke the same fear, comparing it to a vinyl record played backward.
Why does the comedian joke about Arabic as a frightening language?
-The comedian humorously connects the Arabic language to media portrayals in movies and TV shows, where Arabic-speaking characters are often associated with dangerous situations, making the language sound ominous.
What is the significance of the comedian’s anecdote about the Russian man on the phone?
-The anecdote illustrates how the comedian's perception of fear shifts when the man switches from speaking English with a Russian accent to speaking Russian, which the comedian finds less frightening, even though the content may be just as serious.
How does the comedian describe the Russian language's sound?
-He humorously likens the sound of Russian to someone playing a vinyl record backward, adding a whimsical touch to his depiction of the language.
What is the comedian’s attitude toward Russian people at the end of the bit?
-The comedian reassures any Russian audience members that his jokes are in good humor and playfully asks not to face repercussions after the show, showing that the jokes are meant to entertain without malice.
What overall theme is the comedian exploring in this routine?
-The comedian is exploring the stereotypes and perceptions associated with different languages and accents, using humor to highlight how these perceptions can shape our emotions and reactions, often in irrational or exaggerated ways.
Outlines
🎤 Comedy Introduction: Audience Interaction and French Attempts
The speaker opens the performance with gratitude for the applause and interacts with the audience, asking how everyone is doing. There is a light-hearted attempt at practicing French, humorously mixing up phrases like 'Bonjour' and 'Bienvenue.' The comedian shares a funny observation about how welcoming Montreal’s border is, describing it as a flirtatious interaction rather than an interrogation.
🇫🇷 French Accent vs. Russian Accent: The Power of Perception
The speaker humorously contrasts the romantic allure of the French accent with the menacing tone of the Russian accent. They joke that even the most innocent phrases in Russian sound dangerous, whereas French naturally conveys sex appeal. This segment focuses on how different accents are perceived globally, highlighting cultural stereotypes.
💥 Global Fear of Russia: A Political Satire
The speaker shifts to a more politically charged humor, discussing global fear of Russia. They bring up the incident of the Malaysian flight being shot down and America's reaction, using satire to point out how even powerful nations like the U.S. tread carefully when it comes to Russia. The tone lightens as the comedian mimics Obama’s cautious reaction, subtly critiquing how international relations unfold.
😂 Russian Language vs. Russian Accent: A Surprising Shift
In this part, the speaker reveals that while they find the Russian accent frightening, they don’t feel the same way about the Russian language. They share an anecdote about overhearing a Russian speaker in New York, transitioning from fear when hearing accented English to amusement when hearing Russian, likening the language to a vinyl record being played backward.
🎶 The Russian Vinyl Record Analogy
The comedian elaborates on their humorous comparison of Russian to a backward vinyl record, recreating a mock conversation in broken English with exaggerated Russian accents. They switch between serious and playful tones, enhancing the comedic effect with vocal mimicry, ultimately making the language seem less intimidating.
👋 Wrapping Up: A Playful Disclaimer for Russian Audience Members
As the performance comes to an end, the comedian jokes about not wanting any trouble with Russian audience members, light-heartedly addressing the potentially offensive nature of their jokes. The atmosphere remains playful, and the speaker expresses gratitude, ensuring that the audience leaves on a high note.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Applause
💡French accent
💡Russian accent
💡Montreal
💡Romantic language
💡Accent connotations
💡Malaysian flight
💡Language perception
💡Cultural stereotypes
💡Humor and language
Highlights
Thank you for the applause and warm welcome.
The performer expresses their attempt to learn French and finds Montreal's border to be flirtatious.
The French accent is considered sexy, while other accents may not have the same appeal.
The Russian accent is described as sounding dangerous and menacing, regardless of the content.
A humorous comparison is made between the Russian and American responses to international incidents.
The performer humorously suggests that the Russian language does not frighten them, only the accent does.
An anecdote is shared about a Russian man on the phone in New York, switching between languages and changing the performer's perception of him.
The Russian language is likened to a vinyl record played backward, adding to the comedic effect.
The performer playfully addresses any Russian audience members, clarifying that their comments are in jest.
The performer promises an amazing show and thanks the audience for coming out.
The performer's humor is based on the cultural perceptions and stereotypes of accents.
A discussion on how accents can change the perceived meaning of words or sentences.
The performer uses humor to comment on international relations and the power dynamics between countries.
Anecdotes are used to illustrate the performer's personal experiences and reactions to different accents.
The performer's commentary on the Russian language and its impact on their emotions.
A light-hearted approach to discussing potentially serious topics, showing the performer's ability to use humor to diffuse tension.
The performer's engagement with the audience, creating a rapport and setting a friendly tone for the show.
Transcripts
thank you thank you
too much applause this could be but
thank you thank you very much thanks for
coming out how's everyone doing tonight
[Music]
good evening everyone
Oh as the French say good evening no
it's Bonjour Bienvenue yes yes I'm
learning I'm trying to practice my
French another line Montreal probably
has the sexiest border I've ever come to
in my life
yeah I didn't feel like I was being
interrogated I felt like I was being
flirted with was really sexy and say
what are you planning to do in the
Montreal I'm planning to stay that's
what I'm doing the French the French the
most romantic language in the world no
other accent is romantic as well but it
is it's funny how every accent has its
own connotation to it speak with a
French accent you are sexy how are you
ladies and then there's some accents
just have no sex appeal to them at all
like the Russian accent there's nothing
sexy about it
everything the Russians say sounds
dangerous and menacing doesn't matter
what they say because they've got that
thing yes and Russian got to kill you're
black you destroy your family by even if
Russians said nice things that still
sounds dangerous this little year's
fluffy rabbits and teddy bears
what it's like that weird thing like the
Russian accent is so and you know it's
like the crazy thing about the Russians
is everyone in the world is afraid of
everyone no matter where you go in the
world you know the Russians are
frightening because they're the only
country that makes America think before
doing something every US in the world
America acts when something happens when
Russia does something we we think about
it
yeah he saw the whole thing that
happened with that plane that was shot
down the Malaysian flight the Ukrainian
rebels shot the plane the plane came
down you know America came out Barack
Obama he was dazed like we gonna we
gotta find out who did this we're gonna
come down on them like a like an iron
fist we're gonna let them know what time
it is I'm paraphrasing and then and then
everyone found out it was the Russians
that supplied the Ukrainian rebels with
the missile that shot down the plane and
then all of a sudden Obama was like but
uh let's not watch the conclusions we'll
take our time and not point fingers
especially not at the Russians I'm going
home now
thank you very much this is something
about the Russian good actions that
actions you know what's weird as I find
the Russian accent frightening but not
the Russian language there's a strangest
thing ever the certain languages I find
frightening the certain accents that
throw me off you know for instance I
find a rabbit frightening as a language
you know it just has that thing in it
hello a lot of the little Chicago a
little long but that could be saying
anything we're talking about candy crush
[Music]
[Applause]
but it's because we watched all those
movies all those TV shows every time you
see a rabbit some bad goes down
shukran a little it's never something
cool or sexy you know it's never like
hello world but it's never so the
language is frightening but Russian for
some reason I don't find frightening at
all yeah I don't I realized I was
walking to the streets of New York and
there's a Russian guy he was walking
next mean he happened to be on the phone
right and sounded like he was setting up
a drug deal and so this guy's walking
next to me and he's talking and he
switched from Russian switch from
English the English Russian accent into
Russian and I went from fear to know if
it was the strangest thing ever he's on
the phone and he was like yeah movin
water the guy's got to be the troll
clock okay you met him you tell me after
that you got the package we call but
whatever listen black blood blood device
not that I guess not yet that this need
not be that not the book yet not the
gates not today the Doge denardis
bootlicker knowledge the wooden Acadia
which the idea monopoly on happen of Raj
nation for the and was the craziest
thing ever
he went from like international criminal
to immigrants it was the weirdest thing
like I had no fear at all I'm not afraid
of the Russian language just the accent
in fact to me the Russian language just
sounds like someone's playing a vinyl
backwards that's all I hear it sounds
like someone took a DJ of English and
they were just they're like yeah yeah
just like yes yes we go to find don't
worry Vlad the guy's good to be the true
clock okay yeah you bring the package
don't worry about that after that you
find you give me the call okay
no no Vlad Vlad Vlad yeah yeah yeah with
much goodness
it took Nichkhun of infection was
English what is you the whoop get that
get much written up it in big a bit
Russian that's what I'm hearing
and if there's any Russian people here
tonight I'm joking please I don't wanna
have issues after this show walking out
of the theater Hey
from the guy well you both come did you
hear WikiWiki do the game thanks for
coming out tonight we're gonna have an
amazing
[Applause]
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